Lyrics Of The Week: August 9-15

1.) Most Popular / Provocative: Big Sean - Control (Prod. No. I.D.) 

ft. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica

There's already been a huge amount of dialogue about Kendrick's verse, so we'll keep it simple. However you feel about his approach, he definitely shook the rap game up and switched the focus to raw lyricism, at least for the time being. The general consensus is that his name dropping was more of a call to arms than a diss, but either way, none of those mentioned have directly responded in rhyme yet (although many who weren't have come out the woodwork). 

Jay Electronica verses are both consistently dope and rare, and you know we have to give him his props. He adds a layer of intellect and spirituality to an otherwise ruthless track and closes it nicely. Sean does his thing, but there's nothing spectacular about his bars, which is amplified by the calibre of both Kendrick and Jay's verses. He seems unfazed, though, and breaks down the track in the Vibe interview above. 

It was hip-hop's 40th anniversary on Sunday, and it seems only right that such an impactful track dropped. It'd be nice if we could get back to some of the fundamentals of the culture.

How do y'all feel about it as a whole?

[Excerpt: Big Sean] 

Swear the flow's special like an infant's first steps
I got paid to reverse debts
Then I finally found a girl that reverses stress
So now I'm talkin' to the reaper to reverse death
Yep, so I can kick it with my granddad, take him for a ride
Show him I made somethin' out myself and not just tried
Show him the house I bought the fam', let him tour inside
No matter how far ahead I get, I always feel behind
In my mind... but fuck tryin' and not doin'
'Cause not doin' is somethin' a nigga not doin'
I said fuck tryin' and not doin'
'Cause not doin' is somethin' a nigga not doin'
I grew up to Em, B.I.G. and Pac, bitch, and got ruined
So until I got the same crib B.I.G. had in that 'Juicy' vid
Bitch, I can't motherfuckin' stop movin'
Go against me, you won't stop losin'

[Excerpt: Kendrick Lamar]

I'm gonna get it even if you're in the way
And if you're in it, better run, for Pete's sake
I heard the barbershops be in great debates all the time
'Bout who's the best emcee - Kendrick, Jigga and Nas?
Eminem, Andre 3000, the rest of y'all
New niggas just new niggas, don't get involved
And I ain't rockin no more designer shit
White Ts and Nike Cortez, this is red Corvettes anonymous
I'm usually homeboys with the same niggas I'm rhymin' wit
But this is hip-hop and them niggas should know what time it is
And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale
Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake
Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller
I got love for you all but I'm tryna murder you niggas
Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you niggas
They dont wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you niggas

[Excerpt: Jay Electronica]

The Lord is our shepherd, so our cup runneth over
Put your trust in the Lord, but tether your Chevy Nova
I’m spittin' this shit for closure
And God is my witness, so you could get it from Hova
To all you magicians that’s fidgeting with the cobra
I’m silent as a rock, ‘cause I came from a rock
That’s why I came with the rock, then signed my name on the Roc
Draw a line around some Earth, then put my name on the plot
'Cause I endured a lot of pain for everything that I got
The eyelashes like umbrellas when it rains from the heart
And the tissue is like an angel kissin' you in the dark
You go from blind sight to hindsight, passion of the Christ
Right to baskin' in the limelight, it take time to get your mind right
Jay Electricity - PBS mysteries
In a lofty place tangling with Satan over history
You can’t say shit to me - Alhamdulillah
It’s strictly by faith that we made it this far

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(Due to sampling issues, "Control" will not be included on Sean's upcoming Hall Of Fame album. Also, the vocal sample is a revolutionary slogan chanted in Portuguese which means "the people united will never be defeated".)

This is a one-time category, folks, and it's a tie - we narrowed down all the "Control" responses to those you see above. We heard others from Sizzy Six, B.o.B., Lupe Fiasco, Mickey Factz, Fred The Godson, JR Writer, Astro, Mysonne, The Madd Rapper, Grafh, Ransom, Plies and even NBA baller Iman Shumpert, but these three stood out, and were also the most popular. 

Ortiz was the first to go in, dropping his marathon verse approximately 30 hours after the original dropped. King Los and Cassidy followed suit a day later. All three emcees took an understandably aggressive, lyrically dense approach, Ortiz especially so. They defended their honor while paying tribute to the craft and culture. 

Who do you feel handled it the best so far? Mainstream relevancy is less of a factor when it comes in lyrical exercises like this. 

You can expect more of these responses to drop - trust us. 

[Excerpt: Joell Ortiz] 

You feel you ain't gotta acknowledge my clique?
Either way, I'll personal train this beat, it gotta get ripped
You rich rappers can't respond with all the dollars you get
Gangsta rappers can't retaliate with hollows and clips
And you fashion rappers wear the kind of jeans that hardly get zipped
So zip it, I got this shit, real hip-hop in this bitch
The apocalypse has fell upon us, watch the zombies I split
The walking dead, I've been a monster, shorty, I can get bit
And never turn, I'm immune to these rappers y'all callin' sick
I'll stomp the red carpet holding my dick
And throw tomatoes at the podium for whack awards that y'all niggas get

[Excerpt: King Los]

Kendrick I think you genius, J. Cole got these niggas worried
Big K.R.I.T is a southern killer, Wale is a visionary
Pusha been pushin so long he truly defines a hustler
Meek did his time like a G
Came back home and shined on them suckers
A$AP mastered the facets of fashion
Snatchin' the essence of brandin' his whole fam'
And no man demandin' a presence
This nigga Drake nice on the mic and act
So many hits he fucked around and brought light skin back
And Big Sean you did it, you really did it, no bullshit
You puttin' the D on, I could see the future, no Warwick
Get it? Dion Warwick - I went to war with critics like Jay Elec
I let 'em see my exhibit, get it?
Exhibit C, I exquisitely make a segway down to Tyler
My future's odd, I salute ya, dog
Mac Miller, young white boy track killer
Gotta feel that, I think real rap back, nigga

[Excerpt: Cassidy]

They could label this a diss when the song drop
'Cause I'm better than your favorite rapper by a longshot
You gon' have to bring the song back when the song stop
And rewind all the punchlines that this song got
I paint pictures, no Photoshop
I'm not the king of New York, but the king of New York know I'm hot
And no I'm not tryna be the king of Philly
But I've been holdin' down my city, just ask Gillie - really
If any of you niggas act silly, I'll be happy to compete
You seen what happened to Meek
I'm not rappin' to get back in the beef
I'm just rappin' to be competitive, I do shit niggas never did
Yeah, this hip-hop gettin' recorded
So if you a fan of hip-hop you've gotta support it
'Cause it's shortage of rappers rappin' like they supposed to rhyme
And you will never find a rapper rappin' rhymes as dope as mine

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Eminem debuted this new song during a "Call Of Duty: Ghosts" on Tuesday and the world rejoiced. Despite the rock-oriented instrumental and uninspired hook, Marshall proves once again that he's once of the best to ever do it, slaughtering the track with visceral, multisyllabic bars and his characteristic madcap pronunciation. There's a reason Kendrick included him in his "Control" disclaimer - no one can really touch him. 

"Survival" will be included on the "Call Of Duty: Ghosts" soundtrack as well as his upcoming album, but it's not being described as a single. 

Thoughts? 

[Verse 3]
So get your ideas - stack your ammo
But don't come unless you come to battle
When I'm mad, I'll jump in the saddle
This is it - it's what you eat, sleep, piss and shit
Live, breathe, your whole existence just consists of this
Refuse to quit - fuse is lit, can't diffuse the wick
If I don't do this music shit, I'll lose my shit
Ain't got shit to lose, it's the moment of truth
It's all I know how to do, as soon as I get thrown in the booth, I spit
But my respect is overdue, I'm showin' you the flow no one do
'Cause I don't own no diploma for school, I quit!
So there's nothin' for me to fall back on, I know no other trades
So you'd better trade your fuckin' mics in for some tool boxes
'Cause you'll never take my pride from me
It'll have to be pried from me
So pull out your pliers and your screwdrivers
But I want you to doubt me, I don't want you to believe
'Cause this is something that I must use to succeed
And if you don't like me, then fuck you!
Self esteem must be fuckin' shooting through the roof
'Cause trust me, my skin is too thick and bullet proof to touch me
I can see why the fuck I disgust you
I must be allergic to failure 'cause everytime I come close to it
I just sneeze, but I just go "achoo!" then achieve!

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A potent new visual leak from Dizzy Wright's upcoming mixtape "The Golden Age", featuring his Funk Volume teammate SwizZz. There's something hypnotically dope about 6ix's instrumental - we haven't heard anything like it in a minute, and both emcees confidently slay it, expressing their evolution as artists and assuring us all they're up next (even calling out misguided fans to get their point across). 

This one dropped before "Control", by that way. Can you dig it? 

[Excerpt: Dizzy Wright]

They say I'm out of line, but you niggas is not around
How you scorin' points when you standin' out of bounds?
In other words, how you gettin' money and you ain't keeping it real?
With no skills, playin' the field like you not a clown?
I guess somebody should put the target on the fans
Support the bullshit and you a part of the scam
The Million-Man March, my grandaddy sellin' grams
Learnin' game from a pimp (he's just becomin' a man)

[Excerpt: SwizZz]

The only thing I fear is idle time...
So I'm back on my grizzly with the Valley state of mind
I put my all into this motherfuckin' game...
And learn from every loss, so when I lose, it's still a gain
Dizzy, these frauds are lame - it's obvious, but it's unaddressed
It's sad, the fans got accustomed to accepttin' less
I can see the clear picture even from the upper deck
So I dumb it down to make it easy for these thoughts to connect

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ft. Tyler, The Creator

A standout track from Earl's new album Doris, which he's currently streaming for the world to hear. Both emcees are in their OFWGKTA element here, spitting vivid and extremely dense verses over a minimalist, vaguely foreboding instrumental. 

How does this one make you feel? 

[Excerpt: Tyler, The Creator] 

Trashwang scratched inside the knucks
Got some One Direction tickets, I should hit that up
Drive by with puppy signs plastered on the truck
Then see how many of they fans could fit inside the trunk
Move over, they're microwavin' the cannabis
Tryna take the van and the whole band to Canada
Fuck the block, news and the venues, they can't handle us
They can't stand us, includin' fruits that Frank's channelin'
The Ku Klux Klan see me and my managers
But thank me when they ask where the Five Panels is
Man I suck now, I ain't still dope
But Chris and Rihanna's fuckin' again, so there's still hope

[Excerpt: Earl Sweatshirt] 

So shimmy through the swamp, nigga
Follow me through the fox holes
More Orenthal with a pretty bitch in a Bronco
Hopped right off the 7 and stumbled into some vatos
Threw a punch, got jumped, dusted off and then walked home
Shit, it's like six PM and his temple throbbin'
Hand in the cabinet by 7, sniff the prescription Oxy's
Logo in the boxes, all my niggas hostile
Cautious of your crosses, scoffin' at your doctrines
Bitches augmented, stupid as the group is
Only slightly ripe, precise to get a pussy nigga toothless
Many stitches shut the loose lips, stumbled in a Ruth's Chris
Slid into a booth and hid the luggage from his shroom trips
See, Lionel ball with Leonardo on the weekend now
In Maui on a scenic route, we on the second season now

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(American Trap)

Lupe Fiasco mashes up religion and the dope game on this new track, giving a whole new meaning to the terms "Trap God" and "Trap Lord". Instead of Pope Francis, Lupe is Dope Francis, and he preaches an oddly braggadocios sermon while praising Jesus Christ as the greatest connect of all, God himself being the dope. 

It's a metaphor for his musical ability, of course, but the conceit is so elaborate you start to forget that over the course of the track. 

Thoughts on this one? 

[Verse 3]
O-V-E-R-D-O-S-E everything I does
Noah got a bolo that got shit from up above
Gotta pick a side because they fight a war on drugs
Well, you can tell I'm cartel cause I'm riding with my plug
Ridin' dirty, call it bible study
And I pray you keep them pigs up out my way
Because we eatin' like Ramadan in the evenin'
So we gotta re-up like five times a day
And faith is like the keys to the kingdom
And the yayo for the halo, got my triple beam leanin'
And an M3 with a trunk full of what everybody fiendin'
And my rearview mirror cool, I see no daredevils or demons
So... God is dope, I'm slingin'
David with the bricks, I'm kingpin
Tryna make me miss, they atheist
God is dope, servin' like it's '86

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No Malice (formerly Malice) enlisted his brother Pusha T for this new leak from his upcoming solo album Hear 'Ye Him. Although Push's half-verse leaves something to be desired, Malice keeps it intense and spiritually focussed, showing great remorse but maintaining that Clipse grittiness. Repent, sinners. 

It's nice to see the brothers reunited on a track. Hopefully this means we'll be hearing more collaborative work from them soon. 

Thoughts? What do you think of the new direction Malice has taken? 

[Verse 2: No Malice]
Led to the slaughter, precious is the blood
That stained the cross, there's no greater love
Like the days of Noah, no greater flood
Than when them birds got shipped, no turtledoves
Maybe a few chickens
That I saved, fuck a drought, when it was slim pickings
Then with one touch my soul became quickened
When I revisit my past my soul becomes sickened
Clock's ticking, go check your Audemar
The bezel on that Chopard will only get you so far
Mozart never tickled this many keys
And your favorite emcees ain't who they claim to be
The cat's out the bag, whoops! Shame on me
I don't fear death, they tell me it come in threes
Be ye not deceived, we reap as we sow
Life, too, comes in threes: Father, Son, Holy Ghost

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A partially auto-tuned Gucci/Sosa collab from the former's new three-part WWIII album. It's included on the second disc, subtitled Molly. We'll leave the commentary on this one up to all of you.

Stay tuned for next Friday’s Lyrics of the Week, folks. Thanks for joining the discussion.

[Excerpt: Chief Keef]

Cops pull me over in daylight, jeez...
'Cause I've got so much money on me
And I've got a QP with me
That's why I've got so much bond money on me
And I've got this nina with me
With this dirty clip, hope it don't jam on me
But you'd better pray for your life, bruh
When you're runnin' from me
Bimmer cost a hundred some Gs
Plus still got Ferrari money on me
And I feel like T-U-P-A-C, K? All eyes on me
CEO of GBE - G-L-O-G-A-N-G
I'mma lean over all day every day
I've got so much cake on me

[Excerpt: Gucci Mane]

I think I need to smoke some weed 'cause I'm really geekin'
It's Tuesday, I'm freakin', but we listenin' to The Weeknd
I'm tryna mix this Vietnamese with this Puerto Rican
This fine Cali bitch'll let me sneak this Georgia peach in
"Good grief, I can't breathe, can we take a break?"
She'll suck your dick through your briefs, eat beef like a steak
She put my dick on a plate, then she said her grace
She said that money make her cum, she love the way I'm paid

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